Someone emerged from hibernation too early! The deceptively mild weather earlier this week obviously tempted this little frond out from its winter sleep.
They don’t do so well in the snow, however- the usually shy insectivore was surprisingly eager to come inside to harass our spider population.
This weeks creature can be found in our shop!
A walk to the woods in the mud and rain might not be your idea of a perfect trip- but it’s necessary if you want to find one of these little specimens!
The fernling: a creature that loves damp weather, and only likes to stretch its roots with a walk when there’s plenty of moisture about.
This particular specimen wasn’t thrilled to be put in a jar- but due to their reclusiveness and expertise in hiding themselves away; the fernling is one of our least studied native woodland species.
So, like it or not, he’ll be spending a couple of weeks in the SFI greenhouse, before I release him back to this spot.
(This week’s creature report was written by Keeley Claremont, SFI botanist)
(This creature is available for adoption on etsy!)
Woodsprites are there all year round, but it’s in the autumn that their population explodes. That’s when it’s time to gather them up from the overpopulated woods, and spread them out a bit.
They may be curious and playful, but they aren’t the smartest creatures, and need a hand so that their habitats don’t get crowded out.
Sprites are gentle nature spirits, and like to spend their time exploring, eating and sleeping. The live on a diet of tree bark, sap and nuts and berries.
No two sprites look the same, with their own individual markings and features- though some of these do crop up more than others.
Sprites make for affectionate companions, and will happily adjust to house and garden living.
They like having new places to explore!
When the faerie and human realms were sealed off from one another by the great Nightwarp storm; what happened to those left behind?
Some, like the Filauny we have covered previously, formed remote and reclusive colonies. Others turned feral: for example Hominus Minimus or the Little Fairy.
These faeries, once playful and mischievous, suddenly found themselves lost without the guidance of their lost courts; turning scavenger and hunter to survive.
These days it’s rare that you’d see faeries like these in the wild- they favour remote places where the skin between worlds is at its thinnest, where they feel closest to their lost people. However, many natural history collections have preserved specimens like the ones you see here, available to study.
(Like what you see here? These framed fairies are now available on our etsy store!)
Hearth Sprite
Chaotic Elemental
The hearth sprite is a familiar and well-loved figure, present in many homes. Drawn in the flickering of a fire, the warmth of a stove or just a trace of coal dust; the sprite is easy to attract.
Having done so, many people follow the tradition of bottling a sprite, and keeping it on the mantle for good luck and prosperity.
As long as you feed it with a pinch of coal dust every day, the sprite seems content to live in the jar. (Should its glow start to dim, it should be released immediately.)
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